A recent survey shows that Whitefish residents have more positive attitudes about visitation, yet shop vacancies downtown and potential updates to the economic section of the City’s Growth Policy have people questioning the sustainability of a visitor-based economy.  

“There’s a mischaracterization of visitors,” said Zak Anderson, director of Explore Whitefish, at a town hall on May 22. “The reality is that they’re just people, and sometimes they’re our family and friends.” 

The results of a resident survey on visitation conducted this spring were presented by Anderson on behalf of the Whitefish Sustainable Tourism Management Plan (STMP) committee. The survey received 472 responses.  

The statement, “I feel tourism makes Whitefish a good place to live,” was an even distribution. 

About 52% of respondents agreed with “the overall benefits of tourism in Whitefish outweigh the negative impacts.” About 24% disagreed and 24% were neutral. That shows a positive shift in sentiment from a similar 2023 rendition of the survey, which saw 30% agree and 47% disagree with that statement. 

In the 2025 survey, about 84% of respondents agreed with “tourism supports year-round economy and jobs.” About 79% agreed that “tourism supports upkeep of recreation assets.” Most respondents, 85%, agreed that the resort tax is beneficial. 

A majority, 65%, disagree that “short-term rentals are a positive addition.” 

Concern for affordable housing was high for 88% of respondents. Concern for traffic congestion was high for 72%.  

Concern for protection of natural resources was high for 73%, and 49% of which voted for “of greatest concern.”  

A PANEL of business leaders discussed evolving visitor expectations.   

“We have to have a [greater] variety of products, adequate inventory,” said Jared Zuege, manager of Whitefish Liquor Store, Blackstar Brewpub and Markus Market. “Tastes have changed.”  

Zuege said that staff turnover and shipping create challenges in staying consistent. 

Marissa Keenan, owner of Sweet Peaks Ice Cream, said things have changed drastically since she began in 2010.  

“I had days where I would sell nothing at all, and that doesn’t happen anymore,” she said. “I’m a Montana kid who realized if I wanted to have a business here, I have to pivot constantly.”  

She said she has to be firm on the price and as a result, Glacier Park’s Pursuit Collections, will buy less of her product this year.  

“I’m unwilling to move that [price] down because I have a community of people I want to support,” she said. “So I said OK I’m going to consider other avenues, do more mobile trucks, open up smaller wholescale accounts... It’s an entire system that I’m constantly pivoting.”  

Keenan said she is concerned new buildings around hers will force her out of Whitefish.  

Her manufacturing building near the south end of Baker Avenue is next to where the new Peregrine Subdivision is coming up.  

“I think it’s important to have diversity in locations and businesses,” she said. “My stores will be where they are – but I’m concerned I won’t be able to make ice cream in Whitefish anymore, and that’s something I’ve been proud of.”  

AUDIENCE members discussed the vibrancy of downtown.  

“Where is the pressure or just the conversation with the people who are in the process of selling?” Keenan said.  “It’s not OK to have empty storefronts. If you’re going to wait for some big sale, that’s your prerogative, but at the same time, I know so many small farmers, makers, doers, that would give anything to have a little bit of sidewalk on Central.” 

Katie Williams, who is on the Housing Whitefish board of directors and is an employee of First Interstate Bank, said there’s too much of a “crutch” for those smaller businesses.  

“If you’re trying to start a business, you need some serious capital,” she said.  

Rhonda Fitzgerald expressed grievances with the turnover of properties downtown. 

“It's unclear who even owns these,” she said. “I mean, it’s holding companies inside of holding companies. That’s a fabric of the community that’s being broken down.

"A lot of these people with empty buildings and large investors in their family don’t support Whitefish Shines’ winter decorations and flower baskets," she added.

Regardless, Whitefish Mountain Resort has received about a 9.5/10 rating from guests that indicates they will return, and while it’s not guaranteed resort guests will visit downtown, it is likely, said Matt Gebo, director of sales, marketing and guest services at the resort.  

CURRENTLY, about 58 cents of every dollar spent in Whitefish in the first quarter of 2025 came from visitors, up 3% from March 2024, according to VISA Destination Insights. 

Canadian spending in Whitefish in the first quarter of 2025 was down roughly 20% compared to 2024. 

However, domestic visitation was up 18%, offsetting that trend and accounting for higher overall visitation spending.  

Local resident spending has held flat since January and is nearly identical to 2024. 

Traditional lodging occupancy in April 2025 was down 20% from April 2024, while short term rental occupancy held steady. 

THE DRAFT economic section of updates to the City’s Growth Policy, Vision Whitefish, looks to embrace visitation.  

The draft saw extensive discussion from the community at a Community Development Board meeting May 21. The board voted 4-2 to adopt a version of the draft containing revisions from Heart of Whitefish.  

Thereafter, several individuals submitted written comments and/or spoke at the June 2 City Council in disapproval of adopting the edits.  

Within the draft, a consultant hired by the City reports that in 2023, 43% of all jobs and 26% of businesses in Whitefish were in tourism related categories. The consultant reports that 76% of Whitefish employees do not live in Whitefish, while 21% of Whitefish residents work remotely.

Two written comments are included in the draft economic section of the growth policy. Julie Mullins, former director of Explore Whitefish, states that the funding model for Explore Whitefish is unsustainable for an organization tasked with managing visitation.  

“If nothing is done, managing tourism will end up falling to the City and/or to for-profit businesses,” she wrote. 

Another comment submitted by Marti Brandt, manager of Bookworks, wrote that revisions of the economic draft were written by a third party with interests in tourism. 

“There are increasingly fewer businesses that appeal to locals,” she added. “Tourism-based seasonal jobs don’t pay well.”  

Colton Little, a local student, wrote to City Council June 2 that the edits “remove accurate and necessary references to the low-wage nature of tourism jobs, thereby sanitizing the harsh economic conditions that many locals must navigate.”